Coded swizzle-stick

ABSTRACT

A highball stirring implement having color bands thereon and sleeves slidable thereover indicating, by the position of the sleeves relative to the bands, the type of drink or contents in an associated highball drinking glass.

United States Patent 1191 [111 3,722,457 Hartinger 1 Mar. 27, 1973 I 1 CODE! SWIZZLE-STICK 2,593,868 4/1952 Fowler "116/135 x 3109634 11/1963 Anson ..ll6/l32X [76] Inventor: Daniel J. Hartmger, 1658 Mayfield La e, ad on, W s 53,70 3,207,489 9/1965 Berman ..259/107 [22] Filed: Sept. 22, 1971 Primary Examiner bouis J. Capozi pp NO: 182,719 Attorney--Stanley E. Bmish ABSTRACT 52 us. (:1. ..116/l14, 116/135, 416/71 A highban Stirring implement having Color bands [51] lllt. Cl. ..G0ld 21/00 thereon and Sleeves Slidable thereover indicating, y [58] held of Search "116/114, 135; 23/259; the position of the sleeves relative to the bands, the 259/99, 107; 416/71 72 type of drink or contents in an associated highball drinking glass. [56] References Cited 8 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,170,298 2/1916 Lundy "116/135 CODED SWIZZLE-STICK This invention relates to a manual highball stirrer also known as a swizzle-stick or muddler used for mixing swizzle or mixed drinks generally. Such swizzlestick is provided with a code or system of symbols, signals or indications to communicate, represent or identify various kinds of liquor beverages.

By use of such coded swizzle-stick one may accurately indicate the precise mixed drink prepared, and the probability of mistakes in either filling orders or routing them to the proper persons ordering the drinks is eliminated.

An object of this inventionis the provision of a swizzle-stick having code means thereon easily selectively settable for indicating the drink or contents in an associated drinking glass.

Another object is to provide a coded swizzle-stick with colored bands thereon and sleeves slidable thereover to indicate, by their relative positions, a kind of drink.

Other specific features and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view illustrating the normal purpose and mode of use of the coded swizzle stick embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a solid rodular, or probe type of swizzle-stick embodying the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of a tubular or straw type of swizzle-stick embodying the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a top view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a section view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a section view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a section view taken on line 8--8 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a section view taken on line 99 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary section view of the operative portion of a rodular swizzle-stick showing the band means thereon, such as a thin coating painted therearound, or the like;

made of any suitable material, such as plastic, or the like, but not limited thereto.

The code means on the swizzle-sticks generally comprise finite surface area means, such as bands, having discriminate properties, such as colorational indicia, to visually differentiate or distinguish between the appearance of such bands, and between associated in dicator or sleeve means slidable over said bands, as hereinafter described.

Said code means more specifically comprise differently colored bands, such as thin plastic or banded coatings 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22 and 23, of paint, stain, dye, or the like, applied to and around the upper end portions of said rodular and tubular swizzle-sticks 14 and 15, see FIG. 10. Said bands are preferred to be of equal length, except the central base band 16 which is preferred to be twice the length of the other bands. However, the invention is not limited to such dimensions.

While it is desired that all the bands be differently colored to more conveniently identify and codify the drinks, it is. possible to repeat some of the colors, but care should be taken that adjacent colors be not identical to avoid confusion and to impart distinction among them.

Obviously any thin colored bands of any suitable material can be used in lieu of the painted bands.

It is preferred, though not necessary, that the upper band be disposed spaced from the upper end of said swizzle-stick, as at 24, for sanitary reasons. Such spacing is especially desireable for the straw type swizzlestick, the upper end of which is usually placed in ones mouth for sucking or drawing the drink therethrough. The mouth insert portion of the swizzle-stick is thus isolated and operatively disposed spaced from the finger FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the operative portion of a coded swizzle-stick showing the sliders disposed relative to the bands to indicate a particular kind of mixed drink; and

FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the operative portion of a coded swizzle stick showing the sliders disposed relative to the bands to indicate another kind of mixed drink.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a tall highball drinking glass 10 filled with a mixed drink or highball to a level 11, and having a swizzle-stick generally indicated at 12 therein provided with code means generally indicated at the top end portion thereof. Said code means is selectively settable to identify the kind of drink in the highball drinking glass.

The swizzle-stick 12 is an elongated and relatively slender stem member, substantially as long as a conventional drinking or highball glass, rodular as indicated at 14, or tubular or straw-like as indicated at 15, and

manipulated codemeans, see FIGS. 1 and 4.

Associated with said painted color bands on said swizzle-sticks, see FIGS. 2 and 4, are a pair of companion sleeves, sliders or indicators 25 and 26, slidably mounted on such swizzle-sticks and slidable over said color bands. Said sliders 25 and 26 are made of any material suitable for the intended purpose, preferably of plastic, but not limited thereto.

Said sliders or sleeves fit quite snugly on and over said bands to generate sufficient friction to frictionally engage said bands and be selectively frictionally positional or settably adjustable along said bands.

Said sleeves 25 and 26 are preferred to be identical in color, differentiating in color from the color bands, and substantially equal in length, and of an individual length equal to the length of the individual colored bands, such as band 17, to substantially cover said hands when disposed thereover. However the sleeves are not limited to such lengths or colors.

In the matter of the elongated or double length base band 16, both sleeves would be required to be superimposed thereon to cover such band 16, for reasons hereinafter stated.

In operation, the upper half of the operative band means is reserved for indicating some of the most common kinds of booze used in the drink, such as scotch, whiskey, bourbon, brandy, or other look-alike liquors in descending order, that is commencing with upper band 19 as scotch; whereas the lower half of the coding means is reserved for indicating the type of mix or sweet desired to be mixed with the above mentioned booze such as water, seltzer, sweet soda, Seven-Up, or any other mix that cannot be identified by a glance, commencing with the lower band 21 as Seven-Up, in ascending order. The above lists are merely suggestive.

On the swizzle-stick 14 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 the dotted line 27 divides color base band 16 into two equal band sections 16 and 16", that is an upper and lower half portion, said equal sections being coverable by the sleeves or sliders 25 and 26. Said double base band serves as a convenient visual central divider between the upper booze portion and the lower sweet and/or sour mix portions of the operative bands, and is operative as the other bands.

With the slider 25 superimposed on color band 17, see FIG. 11, there is indicated, bourbon; and with slider 26 superimposed on color band 22 there is indicated, sweet soda. The combination mixed drink or highball identified being bourbon and sweet soda.

In FIG. 12, the slider 25 is positioned over band 18 to indicate whiskey booze; whereas slider 26 is positioned over band 23 to indicate seltzer; thereby codifying and identifying the mixed drink whiskey and seltzer.

Some characteristic features of this invention are the provision of a coded swizzle-stick; a coded swizzle-stick comprising colored bands thereon and a slider mounted for sliding thereover for indicating by the position of the slider relative to said colored bands a type of mixed drink; and the coded swizzle-stick above wherein the above code bands are spaced from the top end of said swizzle-stick for sanitary reasons.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood, that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A codable swizzle-stick, comprising:

a. a slender stem member for stirring a beverage, said stem member being substantially as long as the height of a conventional highball drinking glass,

b. band means on the upper end portion of said stem member, and

c. sleeve means slidably mounted on said band means for longitudinal movement along said band means, said sleeve means adapted for frictional adjustment along said band means, whereby to indicate by the position of said sleeve means relative to said band means a kind of beverage.

2. The swizzle-stick of claim 1 wherein said band means and said sleeve means have discriminate properties to visually differentiate the appearance thereof.

3. The swizzle-stick of claim 2 wherein said band means comprise a plurality of bands, and said sleeve means comprise a plurality of sleeves.

4. The swizzle-stick of claim 3 wherein the discriminate properties are coloration indicia.

5. The swizzle-stick of claim 4 wherein the bands are coatings.

6. The swizzle-stick of claim 5 wherein said bands are operatively disposed spaced from the upper end of said swizzle-stick for sanitary mouth application thereto.

7. The swizzle-stick of claim 6 wherein substantially all of said bands are of substantially equal length, and wherein substantially all of said sleeves are of substantially equal length and substantially equal to the length of said bands.

8. The swizzle-stick of claim 7 wherein the bands are adjacent one another. 

1. A codable swizzle-stick, comprising: a. a slender stem member for stirring a beverage, said stem member being substantially as long as the height of a conventional highball drinking glass, b. band means on the upper end portion of said stem member, and c. sleeve means slidably mounted on said band means for longitudinal movement along said band means, said sleeve means adapted for frictional adjustment along said band means, whereby to indicate by the position of said sleeve means relative to said band means a kind of beverage.
 2. The swizzle-stick of claim 1 wherein said band means and said sleeve means have discriminate properties to visually differentiate the appearance thereof.
 3. The swizzle-stick of claim 2 wherein said band means comprise a plurality of bands, and said sleeve means comprise a plurality of sleeves.
 4. The swizzle-stick of claim 3 wherein the dis-criminate properties are coloration indicia.
 5. The swizzle-stick of claim 4 wherein the bands are coatings.
 6. The swizzle-stick of claim 5 wherein said bands are operatively disposed spaced from the upper end of said swizzle-stick for sanitary mouth application thereto.
 7. The swizzle-stick of claim 6 wherein substantially all of said bands are of substantially equal length, and wherein substantially all of said sleeves are of substantially equal length and substantially equal to the length of said bands.
 8. The swizzle-stick of claim 7 wherein the bands are adjacent one another. 